The Pennsylvania Center for the Book has announced the Pennsylvania winners of the 2012 Letters About Literature contest, a nationwide event sponsored by the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress and Target Stores. The Center for the Book was established in 1977 as a public-private partnership to use the resources of the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading.
This contest invites students in three grade categories to write letters to authors -- living or dead -- explaining how the author’s words affected them or their world view. Joey Feffer of Boalsburg wins the Level I award (grades four through six) for writing to Robert Frost about “The Road Not Taken,” Emma Casey of Allentown wins the Level II award (grades seven and eight) writing to Rick Riordan about "The Lightning Thief" and Jordyn Donnelly of Newville wins the Level III award (grades nine through twelve) writing to Jodi Picoult about "My Sister’s Keeper." The winners received a $150 cash prize and a $50 Target gift card at a luncheon honoring them and their families in State College, Pa., on April 14.
A Level I honor of high distinction, which includes a cash award of $50, goes to Jackie Saleeby of State College for writing to Scott Westerfeld about "Uglies." Level I honorable-mention winners are: Christine Troll of Somerset writing to Gail Carson Levine about "Cinderellis and the Glass Hill," Emily Stuck of Middleburg writing to Andrew Clements about "The Janitor’s Boy" and Fayla Sarkissian of State College writing to Ruta Sepetys about "Between Shades of Grey."
Level II honorable-mention winners are: Siobhan Greene of Wynnewood writing to Kathryn Erskine about "Mockingbird," April Shaffer of Dover writing to Barbara Parks about the "Junie B. Jones" series, Eric Mi of Wexford writing to Orson Scott Card about "Ender’s Game" and Ms. Paige E. Miller of Pottstown writing to Coleen Murtagh Paratore about "The Wedding Planner’s Daughter."
Level III honorable-mention winners are: Eli Williams of Mountain Top writing to Patricia MacLachlan about "All the Places to Love," Kimberlee M. Roberts of Ephrata writing to J.D. Salinger about "The Catcher in the Rye," Jamie Atherton of Mountain Top writing to to Mitch Albom about "Tuesdays with Morrie" and Erin Serre of Lilly writing to John Green about "Looking for Alaska."
Letters About Literature contest judges were Anna Eichner, graduate student and career counselor, Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pa.; Barbara A. Marinak, associate professor of education, in the School of Education and Human Services at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md.; Cindy Pimental, fourth grade teacher at G.B. Luhrs University Elementary School, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pa.; Dr. Thomas P. Sherwood, II, founder and president of BioLexia, a Literacy Consultancy, State College, Pa.; and Xiomara Alicea Torres, student at Columbia University (NYC), Reading, Pa.
For more information about the contest and awards, please contact Caroline Wermuth, outreach coordinator, at 814-863-5472. Visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book website at www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu.